Clumsy sailor Şaban is getting shore leave to visit his old 'milk mother', but is convinced by wily shipmate Ramadan to swap places. This house turns out to be a real hive of activity. Irate naval commander Husamettin is visiting his sister, young lovers are in trouble, and a ghost is haunting the night. Can things be sorted out before everyone flees in terror?...
Süt Kardeşler (Milk Siblings) is a fondly remembered Turkish classic, starring many of the famous comics of the day. The humour can be simple, but effective. We've got slapstick, wordplay, and the personalities of these distinct performers shining through.
Things get more convoluted with the various misunderstandings and deceptions, but is all eventually wrapped up, and in a funny way, with Husamettin becoming so confused he can't even see straight anymore. He's too focused on remembering who's really who to think too hard about much else. The climax is plenty of fun, though the film never bothers giving us a final look-in at the house, and all the characters there. We at least get a good final scene on the boat to close us out, so it doesn't feel abrupt.
The film is based on an old Turkish novel, Gulyabani (also this film's occasional subtitle). I can't speak to how good of an adaption this is, but I'm sure it does a fairly reasonable job. Although it would have to retro-fit in these comedians and their mannerisms. In a way it might be like the Turkish equivalent of a PG Wodehouse book. A country estate, hapless romantics, constant misunderstandings, etc.
Süt Kardeşler has nice visuals, with its dockside boats and 'country' estate. The fashion is neat too! The film has a turn of the century setting, with old style naval outfits, complete with fez (of course!), and the women of the household have some neat fashion, particularly the maid! There's a really nice colour to their outfits.
The almost titular Gulyabani looks great too! It's fake, obviously, but it's meant to be. It is only a costume. It's tall, well-crafted, and has a neat spooky visage. It's the kind of thing you could easily imagine traumatising Turkish youngsters.
The characters make Süt Kardeşler more of an ensemble piece. Saban is a dim but likeable hero. No idea why he agrees to a swap that doesn't really benefit him, but I guess that's just down to his overly trusting nature. He disappears for a long stretch, but everyone's screentime soon evens out. Ramadan is a shifty guy, but innocent enough that he never stops being a friend. Them having the same names as their characters in Şaban Oğlu Şaban is a little confusing, but you get used to it. Bayram doesn't quite manage to be much more than a third party, but has his moments, and the fact that he landed a girl like Afife is impressive! Long-suffering CO Husamettin has more to him than only yelling at or trying to shoot the leads as in other movies, but gets enough grumpy moments to entertain. And the villains are decent enough, though don't appear as much as I'd like.
The women of the film are just as numerous. There's the eccentric lady of the house Melek, her long-suffering housemaid Yasemin, who shifts from 'There's no ghoul, you old bat' to 'Ahh, run away, ghoul!' in equal measure. Bride-to-be Afife is nice enough, though not much is made of the milk sibling connection. Blonde girl Bihter meanwhile is far too pretty to be sincere, especially considering her uncle is the scheming villain of the piece! We never really see much bad from her though, nor any kind of wrap-up.
The cast assembled here is a great one. Keman Sunal is a fun and distinct lead, but doesn't hog all the screentime from the others. One could argue the opposite almost happens! Halit Akçatepe does well [(his voice not as overbearing as it could sometimes be)], and the same goes for Ergin Orbey, forming a loose trio. Despite being a contemporary of the other two, Şener Şen excelled in playing older authority roles, and here is no exception. He's great as the blustering commander, and plays off well with the others, even getting some amusingly homoerotic moments. Adile Naşit is a funny older dame, and Ayşen Gruda is adorable and snazzy!
The film is directed by Turkish comedy stalwart Ertem Eğilmez, also responsible for the Hababam Sınıfı classics. He does a good job behind the camera, with nice imagery, and funny zoom-ins. I'd definitely be interested in seeing him tackle an actual horror film! Certainly this is never anything spine-chilling, but with the ooky music, midnight park alleys, and giant 'monster', I'd be curious to see!
Süt Kardeşler is another classic of Turkish comedy, thanks to both its cast, and writing/scenario. It's plenty of fun, and well worth a watch!...
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